Green Hall, George Town, Penang

Green Hall, George Town, Penang (24 May 2022)


Green Hall, also called nowadays as Jalan Green Hall, is a small no-through road in George Town, Penang. It leads from Light Street to the sea.. Although not a major road, Green Hall has been around as early as 1845 (the earliest documented mention of it) and probably earlier. There was a Tamil community in Green Hall that traded in salt. The Tamils could be found living in Green Hall until the 1970's. Concurrently, elite Straits Chinese also made Green Hall their home, due to its location at water's edge. They built their elegant town houses between the 1880's and 1890's. The Hokkiens called it Tuan Pa Li Kay, or Master Paddy's Street, in reference to an Irish settler by that name who used to live there.

Right until the early 1980's, there were three large bungalows on the left (west) side of Green Hall. Today, however, these bungalows have made way for large office buildings. Green Hall has totally reinvented itself, and is today part of the Central Business District of George Town. The high rises here house mostly stock trading firms. Segi College is also located at Green Hall.

Map of Green Hall, Penang

Sights on Green Hall

Street Art on Green Hall

In Other Words ...

Green Hall is known in Penang Hokkien as Tuan1 Pa1 Li4 Kay1 (meaning "Master Paddy's Street") and Tua33 Kor3 Hang33 (meaning "Big Court Alley"). The Tamils called this street Uppukaran Teru meaning "salt traders' street".¹

Getting there

The nearest bus stop is along Light Street. It is served by Rapid Penang bus 103, 204, 502 and CAT.

Office blocks in Green Hall (15 December 2012)


Green Hall, George Town (30 November 2008)


Green Hall history plaque (15 December 2012)


Jalan Green Hall road sign with Jawi script (15 December 2012)


Jalan Green Hall road sign, with Chinese characters (15 December 2012)

References

List of Streets in Penang and Streets in Malaysia